Goa Government Increases Class 1 Entry Age to Six Years Under New Education Bill

Goa's new education bill raises the Class 1 admission age to six years, aligning with NEP 2020. Students must be 6 by June 1 for admission. A one-time relaxation for 2025-26 allows 5 years 6 months. This ensures children are developmentally ready for formal learning.

Goa Raises Class 1 Admission Age to Six Years: The government of Goa has initiated a serious revision in the state's education policy by proposing to increase the minimum age limit for Class 1 admissions. According to the amended rule, the child needs to attain the age of six years on or before June 1 of the particular academic year for admission. With this, Goa's schooling system is falling in line with the national standards laid down under NEP 2020 and the Right to Education Act, which also prescribe the age of six years as the starting age for formal schooling.

This new proposal has been introduced in the form of the Goa School Education (Amendment) Bill, 2026 . The new policy of increasing the age of admission aims to ensure that the child is developmentally ready for formal learning in the realm of reading, writing, and mathematical concepts, the officials said.

To avoid troubling families who may have already organised their admissions, the government has included a one-time relaxation for the academic year of 2025-26. Under the present system, for the coming academic cycle, a child who has turned five years and six months by June 1, 2025, will be eligible for admission in Class 1.
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Class-Wise Age Criteria in Goa (As per New Rule)

Besides Class 1, the amendment also provides for stricter rules for admissions to higher classes. Children can no longer be promoted to higher standards or any level, skipping lower levels, unless their age fits with the revised minimum age requirements.

Class	Age Criteria (As on June 1)
Pre-Primary Education	3 to 6 years
Class 1 to 2	6 to 8 years
Class 3 to 5	8 to 11 years
Class 6 to 8	11 to 14 years
Class 9 to 12	14 to 18 years

The move is a sign of the growing trend of structured foundational learning for children in India. The Goa state government wants to improve early childhood development by increasing the age of entry for children, thus preparing them for future learning.

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